In any new flag design it is essential to pay homage to existing local heritage, and there is no better symbol to do so. The red hand dates back millennia, and it is quite a commonly used symbol across the local community in Northern Ireland. For some excellent examples of this, take a look Mark Thompson's excellent Red Hand Shared Hand photo collection.

The point in removing it is that the symbol should represent Northern Ireland alone locally, and could still be valid in any political circumstance (e.g. could still be used in a hypothetical independent Northern Ireland!). Some consolation for this is that the proposed Northern Ireland flag now better integrates with the Union Flag. Also, none of the other Home Nations have a crown on their flags, and there is a crown remaining on the proposed Coat of Arms.

A good flag design should be simple and easy for a child to draw. Too many symbols ruin the design, and if additional symbols are wanted they are better placed on the Coat of Arms.

Surely Northern Ireland should just use the St. Patrick's Saltire alone?

The St. Patrick's Saltire has been used to represent not only Northern Ireland, but Ireland as a whole, so if you want respectful and unique flags for each territory then that isn't going to work. It also would be wasting a good opportunity to use the St. Patrick's Saltire as the basis of an agreed all-Ireland flag.

Yes, very much so! The red (plus white fimbriation) could be interpreted as coming from the Northern Ireland flag, and the green from the Republic of Ireland flag, though that is only intended to be one of several possible interpretations. Another main interpretation being merging the St. Patrick's Saltire with the Tricolour.

Orange is also not actually a traditional colour in heraldry, and if the Orange tradition to be represented by the colour don't actually use such a symbol, then better to incorporate the symbols which they actually do use.

How often do you think flags should be flown from public buildings in Northern Ireland?

All year round! Instead of limiting the flying of a particular flag, fly the Northern Ireland flag + sovereign flag, and if desired also fly an island of Ireland and Ulster-Scots flags too. Better to celebrate all facets of identity in an agreed manner rather than hiding them.

One possible arrangement (+ sovereign flag on government buidings):

What flags should be flown from public buildings in the Republic of Ireland?